re: Is it just my bias, or is LSU the best DC job available?

It has every advantage except stability which might not even be important to Freeman if he's taking the first P5 job that's offered to him.

ND, Texas, and Auburn aren't firing coaches after the 2021 season. I fully expect LSU to perform at a level that doesn't get O fired but there is no denying that he needs to turn in a 9+ win season. Out of the 4 places that are rumored to be after him, LSU is the least stable from a HC perspective.

Two of the last 4 DC's got HC jobs because of it (Pelini and Aranda). The others (Chavis and Steele) parachuted out because they figured the HC who hired them was on the verge of being fired every year (and he was). But neither made a downward move. Both were lateral moves. We won't discuss "Malveto"

While you would love for your DC to also be a great recruiter, he probably doesn't have to on this staff. O is a terrific recruiter (with his area of expertise being on defense). Raymond has consistently signed good DB's. O will likely bring in a DL coach with strong recruiting traits. As a DC you just have to come in and organized the great pieces put in place for you. If you do, a P5 HC job awaits

Defense doesn't exist in the Big 12. ND has great tradition, but no longer can pull any blue chip player they want like they could in the 60', 70's, 80's. Auburn is a good job, but doesn't have the same geographical advantages of LSU. They are the second banana school in the state in terms of both prestige and recruiting.

The angle of attack on LSU right now is perceived instability at the HC position. Texas and Auburn have new HC's who you know will at least get a few years to perform. ND isn't firing Kelly anytime soon. LSU fans and probably some of the top brass wanted O gone after this season. He's gone from one season away from being fired to locked in "for life" to one season away from being fired all in the course of 3 years.

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Auburn and Texas is better

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The defensive backfield is f*cking loaded

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Are you serious? I've got more questions about the DBs than any other position group on the team. Safety play was downright atrocious and I didn't see any reasons to be optimistic about the guys returning next year. The guy I was hoping to see at the end of the year, Toles, was totally mia, except for tweeting that "this place lame" at the end of the year.

Behind Stingley* and Ricks, outside corner is perilously thin. McGlothern did show a little promise, though.

I like Ward and Flott is serviceable.

The recruiting class at safety looks really nice on paper, but these guys haven't even gotten to campus yet. This isn't exactly what I would call a stacked position group.

I do agree that LSU is the best job available right now, though.

It is the best, or certainly top 3, but it comes with supremely high expectations.

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I'm genuinely curious if there is a better job out there. Not just from a financial angle, but from the stand point of coming in and having all the pieces in place to have a team ready to compete for a national title again.

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It’s a matter of the individual’s priorities. On the surface, LSU checks more boxes from a talent and recruiting perspective, especially with what’s already available to a new DC on day one. If the typical priorities of money, exposure and talent base apply, we have the best balance of all three over UT, ND, Michigan and Auburn.

But location could be a factor. For a devout Catholic who’s from the Midwest, ND may have extra appeal that trumps what we typically expect coaches to care about. I believe Michigan and Auburn would be in the weakest bargaining positions today, but Texas is Texas too and Sark is a really good coach. I think we have more talent on campus today, but the cupboard isn’t bare there at all. And they don’t have pending investigations at the moment. Money may kit be enough for some people to look past that.

So while I think we are in the most advantageous position to land Freeman, there is no way to know right now what he’s thinking and will value more. Everyone will learn something about what makes him tick based on where he ends up.

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LSU fans and probably some of the top brass wanted O gone after this season. He's gone from one season away from being fired to locked in "for life" to one season away from being fired all in the course of 3 years.

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The only reason O would be gone is if he is implicated in the Title IX matter.

This season didn't put him on the hot seat and only irrational fans want him gone.

It's not like he had one great season in the middle of 3 bad years or that he was expected to make a run with a limited/inexperienced roster during the covid 19 pandemic.

I swear, some of y'all have lost your minds.

I am too biased to be able to do this totally logically. I obviously think for reasons stated here that LSU is the best, but Texas and ND are nothing to sneeze at.

Pro-Texas: recruiting rich state, rich program. New coach may lower expectations so would have some grace time to implement system and get results. Other than Oklahoma and maybe OK St/Iowa State who is there to compete against? Money is no object.

Pro-ND: no problem recruiting/national brand. If current coach is rumored to be leaving would Freeman put himself in place to be named interim? Similar to Texas, plenty of money and soft schedule.

I see LSU as the highest risk, but the highest reward. Dominate in the SEC and the world is your oyster. But if you don't produce, and immediately- have you blackballed yourself for your future?

I agree and another thing to consider is lsu's looming title ix issues.

LSU has a ton of talent. It is definitely a top 5 job.